CONTENT WARNING: This article contains references to violence against women. If these issues affect you or someone you love, read on with caution, and contact 1800 RESPECT for support.
WARNING: This article contains mild spoilers for Adolescence.
If you’re anything like us, you were instantly engrossed—and quickly disturbed—by Netflix’s new psychological thriller, Adolescence.
The limited four-part series tells the story of Jamie, a 13-year-old boy who is accused of killing his classmate, Katie. Rather than focusing on the gritty details of the crime, the show instead unpacks what on earth could drive a barely-teen-aged boy to murder a young girl.
While it is not a true story, Adolescence was inspired by the UK’s real-life rise in knife-related crimes among young people, as well as the spread of Incel culture.
“There was an incident where a young boy [allegedly] stabbed a girl,” star and co-creator Stephen Graham told Tudum. “It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the inciting incident here?’ And then it happened again, and it happened again, and it happened again. I really just wanted to shine a light on it, and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we come to this?’”
Graham also told the outlet: “One of our aims was to ask, ‘What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet, and from social media?’”
Co-creator Jack Thorne told The Wrap that he didn’t want to take the easy or obvious route and “blame the parents” for Jamie’s actions. Instead, he used Incel culture to shape the teenager’s motives.
What Is Incel Culture?
Incel is a blend of the words “involuntarily celibate.”
Incels are a subset of the online misogynist community known as the “manosphere,” and are described by the Anti-Defamation League as “heterosexual men who blame women and society for their lack of romantic success.”
The League adds that Incels are renowned for their general pessimism and “profound sense of grievance against women.” Their ideology is tied to the belief that women have too much power in sexual and/or romantic situations, and ruin these men’s lives by rejecting them.
The term has been floating around for some time now, copping throw-away references in teen shows like Heartbreak High, and serious analysis in news reports alike. However, Thorne told The Wrap that Incels aren’t “easy to put in a box.”
"you can put all these things in an argument that makes sense, that’s really, really dangerous"
“In lots of ways, I could understand what would attract Jamie to these ideas,” Thorne told the outlet. “That idea of there is a reason why you aren’t liked. There is a reason why you find it very difficult to talk to women.”
He continued, “There’s a reason why you feel isolated from your parents. There’s a reason why you’re struggling academically. If you can put all these things in an argument that makes sense, that’s really, really dangerous.”
What Is the Manosphere?
Throughout Adolescence are references to the Manosphere, and that a “call to action” has been made by it.
The Manosphere is a web of websites, social media accounts and forums that are dedicated to men’s issues—ranging from health and fitness tips to troubling dating advice. Many (though certainly not all) communities in the Manosphere have become spaces where misogyny and explicit anti-women sentiment is commonplace.
Incels are considered to be a one such community that is a part of the Manosphere. Other subsets include men’s right’s activists, pick-up aritsts and red-pillers, per the Conversation.
Adolescence name-drops Andrew Tate, a controversial podcaster who’s popular within the Manosphere. At the time of writing, Tate is under investigation for multiple alleged offences, including human trafficking and rape. Tate has denied these allegations.
If this article has raised difficult feelings for you or concern for loved ones, please contact 1800RESPECT, 13YARN or Lifeline for support.
